APOS

American Psychological Oncology Society

by APOS staff

The Institute of Medicine report
Cancer Care for the Whole
Patient: Meeting Psychosocial
Health Needs concludes that it is not possible
to deliver quality cancer care without
addressing psychosocial health needs.
A growing body of scientific evidence
shows that psychological and social
problems created or exacerbated by cancer
can be effectively addressed with a
number of services and interventions.

As a multidisciplinary organization
dedicated to the psychosocial and supportive
care of people with cancer and
their families, the American Psychosocial
Oncology Society (APOS) serves
as an important link between professionals
and patient advocates. Members
include physicians, mental health professionals,
social workers, nurses, clergy,
and patient advocates, among others,
dedicated to improving psychosocial
care in the oncology setting. Formed
in 1986, the overarching goal of this
organization is to advance the science
and practice of psychosocial care for
people with cancer and their families.

The vision of APOS is of a nation that
no longer suffers from unmet psychosocial
needs related to cancer. One of
the programs APOS offers in pursuit
of that vision is the APOS Toll-free
Helpline. This service provides local
referrals for people with cancer and
their caregivers to professionals skilled
in treating cancer-related distress.

The upcoming APOS 8th Annual
Conference, Quality Cancer Care Across
the Lifespan: Psychosocial Research and
Practice Across Disciplines, will be held
February 17–19, 2011, in Anaheim, CA.
The APOS conference provides an ideal
forum to bring together many disciplines
conducting state-of-the-art research and
clinical work in the area of psychosocial
oncology to encourage transdisciplinary
education and collaboration.

In addition to the conference, APOS
offers online educational webcasts on
topics such as distress management,
cancer basics, and the psychosocial
aspects of cancer survivorship.

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To request a confidential referral,
call (866) APOS-4-HELP (866-276-7443).
Calls are accepted 24 hours a day through
a voice-mail system and then handled by
trained staff members who have access to
a national directory of community mental
health resources. Helpline inquiries will
normally be returned within 24 to 48 hours.
For more information about the American
Psychosocial Oncology Society, visit
www.apos-society.org.

This article was published in Coping® with Cancer magazine,
November/December
2010.